AIRCRAFT

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aircraft having at least one flap arranged at the wing of the aircraft and having at least one first drive unit for actuating the flap as a landing flap and a first control unit for controlling the first drive unit when the aircraft is in a landing mode of operation, wherein the aircraft comprises at least one second drive unit which is an active differential gear box for actuating the flap as an aileron and a second control unit for controlling the second drive unit when the aircraft performs an aileron function.

Claims

1. An aircraft having at least one flap arranged at the wing of the aircraft and having at least one first drive unit for actuating the flap as a landing flap and a first control unit for controlling the first drive unit when the aircraft is in a landing mode of operation, wherein the aircraft comprises at least one second drive unit which is or comprises an active differential gear box for actuating the flap as an aileron and a second control unit for controlling the second drive unit when the aircraft performs an aileron function.

2. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of flaps are arranged in the aircraft wing and in that the named flap is the outer or outermost flap.

3. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the active differential gear box comprises the at least one second control unit and/or at least one motor.

4. An aircraft in accordance with claim 1, wherein the aircraft has one, two or more than two of said flaps per wing.

5. A method of operating an aircraft having at least one flap arranged at the wing of the aircraft and having at least one first drive unit for adjusting the flap in the landing mode of the aircraft, wherein the aircraft furthermore has at least one first control unit which controls the first drive unit of the aircraft when the aircraft is landing, the aircraft comprises at least one second drive unit which is an active differential gear box and at least one second control unit which controls the aileron function of the aircraft, and the second drive unit is activated when the aircraft performs an aileron function.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the aircraft has a plurality of flaps and the outer or the outermost of the flaps is adjusted to carry out said aileron function.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the aircraft has a plurality of flaps and on carrying out of the aileron function the inner flap or flaps is/are stationary.

8. An aircraft in accordance with claim 2, wherein the active differential gear box comprises the at least one second control unit and/or at least one motor.

9. An aircraft in accordance with claim 8, wherein the aircraft has one, two or more than two of said flaps per wing.

10. An aircraft in accordance with claim 3, wherein the aircraft has one, two or more than two of said flaps per wing.

11. An aircraft in accordance with claim 2, wherein the aircraft has one, two or more than two of said flaps per wing.

12. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the aircraft has a plurality of flaps and on carrying out of the aileron function the inner flap or flaps is/are stationary.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. There are shown:

[0030] FIG. 1: a schematic view of a wing with only one landing flap and with one flap which is used as aileron and as landing flap;

[0031] FIGS. 2: a schematic view of arrangements of landing flaps and ailerons in a wing known from the prior art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a wing 10 of an aircraft comprising one landing flap 30 (inboard) and one flap 40 (outboard) which may be used—depending on the flight mode—as landing flap or as aileron.

[0033] Reference numeral 100 is the first drive unit according to the present invention and is a power control unit PCU which may be located in the fuselage of the aircraft. The PCU is controlled by a first control unit (not shown). It is activated in the landing mode of the aircraft. In this case both flaps 30, 40 are used as landing flaps.

[0034] The movement of the flaps 30, 40 is performed by means of actuators 20 which are driven by a transmission which is driven by the PCU 100. As shown in FIG. 1 the transmission runs through the active differential gear box 200.

[0035] In case of cruise flight, the landing flap 30 remains stationary. The flap 40 in that case is used as aileron. In the aileron mode the flap 40 is driven by the second drive unit 200 which an active differential gear box and not by the PCU 100. The control of the operation of the second drive unit is performed by means of a second control unit (not shown). The transmission power of the active differential gear box 200 is transmitted to the actuators 20 of the flap 40 (and not to the actuators 20 of the landing flap 30) in order to perform the aileron function.

[0036] An improvement in the weight and cost balance is achieved by the present invention as well as of the safety of the high-lift system of an aircraft. The second drive unit can be arranged in the aircraft wing or also at a central site in the fuselage of the aircraft.

[0037] The second drive unit can comprise an electrical or hydraulic drive for the partial or complete taking over of the aileron function. This in particular applies during cruise flight.

[0038] Where possible, it is conceivable in particular to use the outer landing flap as the aileron which is actuated by the second drive unit in the wing (high-lift function). The inwardly offset or inner landing flap can be stationary in this respect.

[0039] This configuration allows the saving of redundancies/actuators at the aileron by using already present drive units in the wing for taking over the partial or complete aileron function. As stated, in systems with a plurality of ailerons, one aileron can possibly be completely saved.

[0040] A weight reduction results due to the association of the high-lift function with the aileron function and thus the possible partial or complete saving of redundancies/actuators at the aileron.

[0041] The arrangements in accordance with the invention shown in FIG. 1 are preferably present in both wings. The arrangement is preferably mirror symmetrical.